Latest News

Ready, set, Go! The Lions Club of Patong Beach is organising a go-kart
tournament to raise funds for the Eyesight Improvement Programme for
children at the Ban Bang School in Kathu on August 28. Teams of five
drivers plus a team manager are invited to join the event, at an entry
fee of 6000 baht per team including dinner.
 
The race is being held at the Go-Kart Racing Track on Patak Road,
Chalong (near the Green Man pub), from 6.30-8.30pm. Event sponsors are
also welcome. For more information, call Khun Jum on +66 (0) 81
3742088 or visit the website
www.lions-club-patong.org/activities.html.

Phuket bowling fans will have the chance to play for charity and the
chance to win the Governor’s Cup tomorrow (August 20) at the Dusit
Charity Cup at CS Bowl. The tournament is being held in support of the
Operation Smile Thailand organisation, which helps provide
reconstructive surgery for children born with facial deformities.
 
The registration fee of 1500 baht per team covers the cost of bowling
shoe rental and drinks. For more information contact Khun Wineeporn
Sinsaengwat on 076 362 999 ext 7401 or dtlphrcsrco@dusit.com.

The Phuket Youth Sailing Squadron is seeking more young sailors and
supporters to help in their bid to compete in the Hua Hin Regatta
later this year. More than 20 children aged seven and up have already
joined the squadron, mostly underprivileged kids who would otherwise
not have the opportunity to learn to sail. The squadron hopes to raise
enough money to be able to send eight promising sailors to the Hua Hin
event, and are inviting local individuals and businesses to help
support their efforts.
 
For further information on sponsorship packages visit
www.phuketyouthsailing.org or call Katy on 085-215 9185.

Phuket massage therapists are limbering up and getting ready to place
Thai massage on the world’s map, in a big to set a new group massage
record. On Karon Beach on August 19, organisers hope to have some 500
massage sessions carried out simultaneously, which would more than
double the current record of 232 set in Victoria, Australia, last
year.
 
Organisers do not expect to have any trouble finding volunteers for
the free treatment, but those who wish to join the event may call the
Phuket Provincial Health Office on 076-211330 or the organizing
officer Khun Ekarin on 086-461 8434.

Phuket football fanatics are set for a live-action treat on October 2,
when some of the Liverpool Football Club’s hottest stars of years past
are set to play a friendly match against former Thailand pro players
at the Thanyapura Sports & Leisure Club.
 
Liverpool players set to join include John Barnes, Jason Macateer,
Steve McMannaman, Robbie Fowler, Bruce Grobbelaar and Alan Kennedy.
 
Tickets are available from the Total Reservation Call Centre at 02-833
5555, or visit www.footballlegendstour.com for more information.

Phuket’s Chinese community is in the midst of celebrating its annual
Por Tor or Hungry Ghost Festival, a month-long series of events that
honour one’s ancestors. Elaborate food, flower and candle displays are
placed at ancestor shrines as a way to feed the ‘ghosts’ who have
temporarily returned to the world in search of food. One particularly
colourful food prepared is the turtle cake – a brightly coloured
turtle-shaped cake that symbolises longevity and health.
 
Most of the rituals are performed within the family home, but it might
be possible to catch some ceremonies in action on a stroll around the
Old Town historical district of Phuket City, where many ethnic Chinese
Thais live and work. The festival will run until August 31.

August 12 marks the birthday of HM the Queen Sirikit of Thailand, an
important date in the country that has also become the official
national Mother’s Day celebration. Schools across Phuket will be
holding ceremonies to honour both the royal mother and mothers in
general, and a number of festivities and award-giving parties are
planned in the island’s local communities .
 
As a national holiday, most schools and businesses will be closed,
giving families the chance to enjoy a long weekend together. Several
Phuket resorts and restaurants are also offering special meals and
other treats for mums on the big day.

Phuket property owners and designers seeking new ideas will have the
chance to see a wide range of products and services in one location at
the Architect & Engineering Exhibition 2011, which is open daily from
11am to 8pm at the Rajaphat University Convention Centre until July
31.
 
More than 50 exhibitors from across Thailand have joined the event.
Products on display include construction materials, lighting,
decorative items, indoor and outdoor furniture, and spa and pool
products. Many items feature cutting-edge design or technology,
reflecting the event’s theme ‘New Phuket Through Visionary Planning’.

Phuket seafood restaurants across the island will be offering superb
seafood dishes at special prices for the month of August. In the midst
of ‘Lobster Week’ a seafood fair will be held at Rawai Beach on August
12 and 13, where a number of waterfront restaurants will be taking
part. Seafood contests and street performances are planned in addition
to a range of delicious food selections at discounts of up to 20%.
 
For more information and to find out which restaurants are
participating, contact the Tourism Authority of Thailand on +66 (0)
7621 1036 or +66 (0) 7621 2213.